But South Korea's Foreign Minister, Yoon Young-kwan, stressed that both the US and China had promised that Seoul would eventually join the talks. Mr Yoon also indicated that Japan and Russia would be involved, the Associated Press reported.

Seoul abstained from the UN resolution on North Korea, which was voted on in Geneva.

Coinciding with the UN vote, lawmakers from the United States, Japan, Britain, Mongolia and South Korea gathered in Seoul on Wednesday for a human rights forum to inaugurate an inter-parliamentary body to help North Korean refugees.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled starvation and repression in their homeland during recent years.